President-elect Donald Trump has returned to the White House for the first time since his stunning landslide election win last week.
He and Biden shook hands and discussed the transition, stressing there would be a peaceful handover of power as they sat side by side before a roaring fire in the Oval Office.
No such meeting occurred following Biden’s election win in 2020, with Trump refusing to accept the outcome.
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The peaceful scene belied the tensions between them following the year’s campaign in which Biden, 81, portrayed the 78-year-old Trump as a threat to democracy, and Trump, 78, labelled Biden incompetent.
Biden defeated Trump in the 2020 election but dropped out of the 2024 race in July after a disastrous debate appearance and made way for Vice President Kamala Harris to become the candidate.
Trump will formally become president and return to the White House on January 20.
“Politics is tough, and it’s many cases not a very nice world, but it is a nice world today and I appreciate very much a transition that’s so smooth it’ll be as smooth as it can get and I very much appreciate that, Joe,” Trump said.
Biden appeared equally affable during the meeting.
“We’re looking forward to having, like we said, a smooth transition, do everything we can to make sure you’re accommodated, what you need,” he said.
“Welcome, welcome back.”
The Republicans have also now won the House of Representatives as well as the Senate and the presidency, and the majority of justices on the US Supreme Court are conservatives.
On Thursday, Sunrise correspondent Tim Lester spoke about the transition of power.
“Joe Biden got no invitation to come to President Trump’s White House and President Trump left the White House saying ‘who knows, one day maybe I’ll be back’,” Lester said.
“Today, four years on, he actually delivers on that with a triumphant return after that emphatic election win and in addition to that election win today the Republicans have gained control of the House of Representatives here in Washington, we learn.
“So a straight line through for the Republicans on the election. This as the two leaders sat down in the Oval Office and exchanged some pleasantries.
“Donald Trump also went this morning to Congress, a remarkable visit too, given what we remember of those scenes on January 6, 2021, when he was still president after that speech he gave, the riots around the Capitol Building.
“Today, to a triumphant Republican Party, to address them there with his cost-cutter Elon Musk travelling with him. Donald Trump is now well and truly a feature back in Washington.”
Trump’s team has yet to sign agreements that would give them office space and government equipment as well as access to government officials, facilities and information, according to the White House.
“The Trump-Vance transition lawyers continue to constructively engage with the Biden-Harris Administration lawyers regarding all agreements contemplated by the Presidential Transition Act,” said Brian Vance, a spokesman for the Trump transition, referring to the law that governs the transfer of power.
Valerie Smith Boyd, director of the Partnership for Public Service’s Center for Presidential Transition, a non-profit that advises incoming administrations, said the agreement underscores that the United States only has one president at a time and includes pledges to sign ethics pacts not to profit off information provided in the transition.
“That needs to be signed for interaction to begin with federal agencies,” she said.
“Everything is hinging on that.”
Meanwhile, Trump has nominated named firebrand Republican Matt Gaetz to be his nominee for attorney general, Republican Senator Marco Rubio to be secretary of state, and former Democratic representative Tulsi Gabbard as director of national intelligence.
– With AAP